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Landing Ship Medium (LSM)Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) LSM(R)Index

A total of five hundred fifty-eight Landing Ship Medium (LSM) and Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) (LSM(R)s were built during World War II. Most served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, and some in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Original plans for the LSM called for six twenty millimeter anti-aircraft guns as their main defense. Two (all mounted in gun tubs) were near the bow (one port; one starboard); two others were amidships; and the final two were mounted near the stern, and the earliest LSMs were actually built to these plans. Early in the ships' history, a decision was made to remove the two twenties near the bow and replace them with a single 40 mm. gun Many early ships were ordered to be refitted thus, although some never made the change and retained only their six 20s throughout the War. Ships built after the change was announced were fitted with single-barrel 40s before commissioning, while most of those built late in the War were given twin 40 mm. guns on their bows. Ironically, most of those with the best armament never got to use it before the War ended, while many of those on the fighting front had to make the best of what little they had.
The LSM(R), Landing Ship Medium Rocket, was designed to support amphibious landings by providing close-in fire support using their primary battery of rocket launchers. There were two classes of LSM(R)s, the earlier class consisted of modified LSMs, equipped with eight to ten twin 5 inch automatic, continuously fed rocket launchers. Each launcher was capable of firing thirty spin stabilized rockets per minute. The later class looked quite distinctive, with their superstructure at the stern, and no open well deck. They also had greatly increased fire power (a single 5"/38 gun mount, two twin 40mm gun mounts, four twin 20mm gun mounts, twenty continuous loading 5" SS rocket launchers, and four 4".2 mortars)

Jim Tusing LSM 372 Editor Emeritus Alligator Alley has recently had a new book published "We Land at the Break of Day", a collection of LSM/LSMR that were previously published in the "Alligator Alley". The book has 25 Sea Stories and 30 pictures chosen by Jim that hopefully tells a little about what it was like in World War II to in these great little ships.
The book can be Previewed and purchased on the Internet from the Blurb web site